As shown with Bashenga, the rooms inside of the Tathamet home can be as big, or as small, as one likes it to be.

Despite this, there aren''t many in the house who take real advantage of that.

Mira can barely keep her own room clean, so she wasn''t going to foster an entire realm for her to keep up with too.

Belloc, Melanie, and Stheno weren''t that needy. So they settled for a modest 2,500 square feet apartment layout.

Nubia, Apophis, The Twins, and Thea are the only ones with rather sizable realms as their ''rooms''.

Thea''s realm is quite similar to Tehom.

Luscious greenery, vibrant wildlife and cooling blue waters, with a soft salmon-colored sky overhead.

Thea''s realm is only about the size of North America, but they are preparing to expand sometime in the next calendar year. (10 Months instead of 12.)

Her realm is solely populated by humanity, but not just any branch of humanity, the evolved.

These were the descendants of those who had been guided to enlightenment forever ago.

By now, several generations have come and gone, and challenges new and old have arisen for her.

And yet, Thea loved her people, and she loved being queen.

Perhaps this is the reason why she decided not to fold her society into Tehom.

She liked being independent of the shadow of her parents. Succeeding or failing on her own.

Well... not necessarily on her own.

"Are we ready?"

Inside of a gorgeous white palace, a group of women were standing around a metal cauldron.

Sabine, Nita, Jasmine, Aisha, and Aubrey were all staring at the one who tied them all together.

She looked like she was going to pace a hole into the floor.

Thea shuffled back and forth on the marble floors lining the observatory.

"I, umm... I think I need to use the bathroom for a second." She decided.

"You don''t pee though?" Jasmine tilted her head.

"I-I figured that it was time to start trying new things..?"

"""""Babe.""""

"I-I just needed a moment to get some water, but I promise that I''ll be right back!"

Thea bolted from the room before any of the girls could invoke more questions her way.

True to her word, she traveled to her kitchen and opened up the fridge.

She pulled out a bottle of water and unscrewed the cap.

But instead of putting the bottle to her lips, she squeezed it as hard as she could and blasted her entire face.

The effect was surprisingly calming.

"Okay... I think I feel better now... Maybe one more for good measure." Thea started to reach back inside of her refrigerator.

"Am I to blame for your current state of insanity...? If so, you have my sentiment."

Thea was so on edge that she nearly jumped out of her own skin.

She didn''t notice Bashenga even enter her realm. Maybe she was even more in her head than she realized.

"Babe! Please don''t tell me you''re in here splashing water in your face again!"

Jasmine and Aubrey burst into the kitchen- obviously looking for Thea.

When they found her wet, teary-eyed, and holding on to Bashenga, they weren''t even sure what to make of the situation.

"Uhm... hey, you two? Is everything alright down here?"

Thea dried her face and hair instantly. "Actually.. things are better than fine. I actually feel a lot better now."

"So you''re not having second thoughts anymore..?" Aubrey asked hopefully.

"Are you kidding me? What would ever make you think that I was having second thoughts?" Thea shrugged coolly.

""Well, you were..""

"I-I get it, but I swear that nothing is wrong at all!"

Thea gave her brother''s neck one last squeeze and whispered a soft ''thank you'' into his ear.

She went to Jasmine and Aubrey''s side and the three of them interlocked their fingers with one another.

"Will you stick around..?" Thea asked hopefully.

Bashenga didn''t even waste a moment to think about it.

"If that is your wish."

-

Now with a clear mind and heart, Thea was ready to undergo the ritual a second time.

Together, she and her other wives shaved off bits of their souls and let the energy meld itself together.

Sabine made a grabbing gesture and gathered their discarded pieces of soul and congealed it all into one.

She breathed in deeply to steady her own heart as she pulled the amalgamation into two.

Finally, she pressed one orb into Thea''s pubic region, and the other one into Aubrey''s.

Light faded from the room with the end of the ceremony.

The women stood around each other-breathing heavily and more than a little anxious.

"Did... did it work?" Aubrey asked hopefully.

There was a pop and confetti rained down on the wives from out of nowhere.

"Congratulations. In nine months you will all kiss your uninterrupted nights of sleep and peace of mind good bye." Bashenga said.

Odessa grabbed at some of the confetti and tried to put it in her mouth.

It took a moment, but eventually it settled in the girls'' minds that things had gone well. Their wish was fulfilled.

Even a spaceship couldn''t match their level of elation.

*Ungodly loud fart*

Everyone slowly turned around to stare at Odessa, who breathed out in relief.

Bashenga''s expression was grim. He recognized a shit-up-the-back scenario when he heard it.

... And smelled it.

He unbuckled the harness keeping her tied to his chest and held her out for someone, make that anyone, to take.

"Here. Practice."